P late X .
CINCLOGERTHIA RUEICAUDA.
ffiED-TAILED TEEMBLEE).
Stcnorhynchusruficaudus . . . . Gould, P.Z.S. 1835. p . 186.
Cinclocerthia ruficauda . . . . G. E . G ra y , L is t o f Gen. p. 17, (1840).
. . . . Scl. P.Z,S . 1855, p. 2 1 4 ; 1859, p . 3 3 8 ; 1866, p. 320, e t Cat. Am, B, p. 7.
liamphocinclus tremulus . . . . Lafr. Eev. Zool. 1843, p . 67.
lle rm in ie ru s guadeloupensis, e t H . in fausius . Less. E ev . Zool. 1843, p. 325.
Fum o so -b ru n n e a unicolor, dorso imo, alis e t c auda ru fe sc e n tib u s : su b tu s pau lo d ilu tio r, magis c in e ra s c e n s ; rostro
nigro, b asi ru fe s co n te ; pedibus fuscis ; long, to ta 9'5, a l» 4 0, caud® 3'4, r o s tr i a ric tu i'7 .
Jidb. in inaiib» Gu adaloupensi ( L ’S e rm in ie r ) : Nevis (Cottle).
Mu s. B rit.
The peculiar form o f the American group o f Miminse or Mock-thrushes to wliich this
and the two succeeding birds belong, was first made known to science by Mr. Gould, in the
Proceedings o f the Zoological Society for 1835. Mr. Gould, who was acquainted with the
present bird only, proposed to call it Stenorkynchus rujkaudus, but the former name having heen
previously used in several departments o f Zoology, was altered by kir. G. R. Gray to
Cinclocerthia in 1840. Mr. Gould did not assign any position to the present form in the
Systema Natural, and Mr. G. R. Gray has associated it with the Fumariinae. But there can
be no doubt that M. de Lafresnaye’s reference o f it to the Turdid« is con-ect, and that it must
be placed amongst tbe Mock-thrushes, along with Ramphocinclm, to which it is closely allied.
M. de Lafresnaye, indeed, has described the present bird as a second species o f Ramphocinclus,
as has been already pointed out by Mr. Sclater.* But the peculiar elongated form o f the head,
the short stout tarsi and robust feet o f the three species o f Cinclocerthia seem to necessitate the
generic separation o f the two fomis.
The present species has hitherto only been recorded as having been received from Nevis
and Guadeloupe, though it probably also occurs in the intermediate island o f Monserrat. Two
examples o f it in the British kluseum were obtained in the first-named island, by Mr. Cottle.
M. de Lafresnaye’s and M. Lesson’s skins were alike from Guadeloupe, the latter having been
sent to Europe by Dr. TfHcrminier, well-known for his excellent essay on the sterna of
birds and other works. Mr. Selater has a single skin o f this species, piu-chased o f one o f the
Parisian dealers, without any assigned locality. From this specimen our figure has been taken.
As to the habits o f this bird we have unfortunately no information, but from the singular
name which it bears in Guadeloupe, and which is shared by its representative in the island of
Sta. Lucia,! cannot but suppose that its mode o f life exhibits some peculiarities.
• See Proc. Zool. Soc., 1855, p. 212. f “ Lc Merlo Trembleuse.”
J akuahy, 1867,